Shafiqul Islam
For the first time in the country, the government has introduced a system to fix the prices of bottled LPG and auto gas in keeping with the international prices. According to the decision of the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC), the price of a 12 kg bottle of government LPG will be TK 591 this month, while the price of private LPG will be TK 975. The price of private LPG supplied in reticulated manner including VAT will be TK 79.01 per kg. The price of per kg of private bottled LPG has been fixed at TK 81.30 including VAT. At the consumer level, the maximum price of a liter of auto gas has been fixed at TK 47.92. In case of change of 12 kg bottle, the distributor or marketing charge including transport fare is TK 50 and the dealer retailer charge is TK 30 with maximum retail price.
The chairman of the BERC Abdul Jalil made this announcement at a virtual press conference on Monday. He said the price was set at 625 dollar per ton for propane and 595 dollar per ton for butane by Saudi Aramco, a Middle East energy company, in March, and a 35-point ratio of 65 per liter for LPG, a combination of propane and butane.
Every month Saudi Aramco revises their prices. In line with Aramco, the price of LPG will be re-determined in Bangladesh if necessary. BERC will inform it at the scheduled time of the month. Private LPG stocking and bottling companies have been rescheduled at the consumer level without VAT at TK 76.12 per kg and with VAT at TK 81.30 per kg, he said. As such, at the consumer level, the price of every 12 kg bottle will be TK 975 including VAT, he said.
BERC has published the new price of LPG on its own website. It was also informed that the matter will be published in the form of a notification in the national newspaper.
Although LP gas has been marketed in the country for the last three decades, its price has not been fixed by the government so far. At present, LPG bottles are being sold at different prices in different parts of the country. It is alleged that the price of LPG is relatively high in the capital due to high demand. In the capital, the retail price of a 12 kg or 12 kg bottle is between TK 1,050 and TK 1,100. However, in the southern part of the country, a 12 kg bottle of LPG is also available at 900 TK. Besides, auto gas is being sold at filling stations at TK 50 per liter.
